Wire-fence fastener.



N. DEGEN.

WIRE FENCE'FASTENER'.

APPLICATION FILED MAYB. 1914.

M1 1H Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

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NICKLOUS DEGEN, 0F AUSTIN, MINNESOTA.

WIRE-FENCE FASTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

Application filed May 9, 1914. Serial No. 837,541.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, NIeKLoUs DEGEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Austin, in the county of Mower and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVire-Fence Fas-- teners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fences, and more particularly to that type of fences whereby a portion of the same may be readily removed and replaced to allow the passage of a vehicle.

It is well known that in rural districts it is customary to take down a portion of a. wire fence to enable a vehicle to pass through, and that securing means is used which is both cumbersome, unreliable and requires considerable time to apply.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple and eflective means for connecting the fence with the removable portion thereof, and consists preferably in the construction and embodiment of parts as hereinafter set forth in the specification and appended claims.

Other objects will become apparent as a more specific understanding of the invention is attained.

In the accompanying drawings :-Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improvement showing the same applied to a wire fence. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the lever used in the preferred form of my invention. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the bracket. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the hook which is used in the preferred form of my invention. Fig. 5 is a. modification of the lever.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates one of the posts of a wire fence having the usual wires 2 connected to and terminating thereon.

Numeral 3 indicates a floating strip which serves as a support for the removable portion of the fence indicated by the numeral 4, said removable portion having the usual wires 5. A bracket 6 is mounted upon the post 1 by means of the bolts 7 with the axis of said bracket being in a parallel plane of the post. The aforesaid bracket 6 has the two ends thereof bent at right angles to the body portion of the bracket to form lugs 8, said lugs being provided with openings 9, the purpose of said brackets being hereinafter set forth.

I provide a lever 10 having a handle portion 11, said lever having a bifurcated end forming radiating arms 12 and 13, one of said arms, namely 12, having the outer end thereof flattened as shown at 14 and provided with an opening 15. The other of said arms, namely 13, is provided with a downwardly extending spindle 16. The aforesaid lever is adapted to be received within the lugs 8 of the bracket 6 by means of inserting the downwardly extending spindle 16 formed on the arm 13 into one of the openings 9, the said opening 15, provided in the flattened portion 1 1 formed on the arm 12', being adapted to register with the other of the openings 9, and a bolt 17 passing through both the opening 15 and the opening 9, and serving as a journal for the said lever 10. The lever 10 is provided adjacent the vertex of the diverging arms 12 and 13 with a projection 18 bent to form a hook portion 19, the function of the same being hereinafter set forth.

I provide a hook member 20, the same be ing provided adjacent an end thereof with a threaded portion 21 and an annular collar 22, said threaded portion 21 being adapted to be received within a suitable opening in the floating strip 3 and secured therein by means of a nut 23, the aforesaid annular collar 22 serving as a means to prevent movement of the hook member 20 with relation to the floating strip 8. The hook member 20 is provided adjacent one end thereof with a flattened portion 24, said flattened portion being bent upon itself to form a book 25,

the function of said hook being hereinafter set forth.

While in Fig. 2 of the drawings 1 have shown as my preferred form a hook member 19, it will be understood that I may provide in lieu thereof an opening 26 adjacent the "ertex of the said arms 12 and 13 as shown in Fig. 5, said opening 26 being formed by providing a stud 27 connected at both ends to the aforesaid arms 12 and 13.

The operation of my invention will, it is thought, be clearly understood from the above description. As is shown in Fig. 1, the hook portion 25 of the hook member 20 secured to the floating strip 3 is adapted to engage with the hook portion 19 of the lever 10 when the lever is extending at right angles to the post 1. Moving the lever 10 to the left of Fig. 1 and the hook member 20 in engagement therewith will cause the floating strip 3 supporting the wires 5 of the removable portion 4 of the fence to be drawn toward the post 1, thus draWing the wires 5 of the aforesaid removable portion 4 of 'the fence taut, thereby affording a simple and effective means of securing the aforesaid removable portion of the fence in closed positionr While I have shown a specific structure as embodying my invention, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the detailed structure thereof without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and wish to secure by Letters Patent is r 1. A fence fastener, including a bearing member, a lever formed from a single casting, said lever having a bifurcated portion providing dlverg ng arms, one of said arms havlng an apertured extremlty, and the other of said armsbent to form a stud for reception upon said bearing member, a projection ad acent the point of divergence of .apertured portion of said lever.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NICKLOUS DEGENr Witnesses:

J. P. WOOD, C. S. M. VVooD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. 

